We, the Participants of the National Workshop, that assembled under the Chairmanship of Sri P Karunakaran, MP and that was inaugurated by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of the Kerala State, Sri Oommen Chandy and consisted of the People's representatives and leaders, activists and members of social, cultural, health and environmental organisations, experts in various fields, the victims and survivors of the endosulfan induced tragedy, the District administration and

KERALA has started disposing of expired stocks of endosulfan. A task force, chaired by deputy collector of Kasaragod district, started Operation Blossom Spring at a Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK) godown in Kasaragod on June 17

The agriculture ministry, on behalf of the centre, has recommended that endosulfan be allowed in the country instead of disposing it.According to the affidavit filed by the centre, in the Supreme Court, the cost of disposing endosulfan will cost the exchequer Rs 210 crore.

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to submit a disposal plan for the raw material used to manufacture endosulfan, Hexachlorocyclopentadiene (HCCP), an organochlorine compound. It is used in several pesticides.

The Pesticides Manufacturers and Formulators Association of India (PMFAI) today filed an interim application in the Supreme Court seeking permission to export the existing stock of endosulfan formulations.

The endosulfan hearing on November 14, saw the pesticides manufacturers pleading with the court to allow them to export raw endosulfan. The Supreme Court, on September 30 had allowed the export of endosulfan formulations to countries from which they had received export orders prior to the ban.

Pesticide manufacturers are leaving no stone unturned to get a clean chit for endosulfan. The Supreme Court had banned the sale, manufacture, use and export of the pesticide on May 13 this year. The pesticide makers have submitted a counter affidavit in the Supreme Court.